Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/128607
Championship on Ducatis. but then switched to Castrol Hondas for a season on the team's RC45. "I had always hoped that I could reunite with Ducati in some way: Polen said. "It's an exciting time. Now that it has happened. I'd say that it's one of the most satisfying moments in my motorcycling career. I'm really looking forward to working with Ducati and helping promote the brand and its rich racing legacy." Michael McMahon. general manager of Ducati North America. concurred with Polen: "Our racing history and dominance in World Superbike is one of the things that defines Ducati. And Doug Polen is an extremely important aspect of that history. To have a champion like Doug back on board with Ducati is a great pleasure. The same enthusiasm and knowledge for the brand that helped Doug win two World Championships for Ducati will be an invaluable asset to us as we grow the North America market. • Not dead yet dept.: Excelsior-Henderson Motorcycles announced on March 27 that it had reached an agreement with E.H. Partners regarding a proposed plan of reorganization in its Chapter 11 bankruptcy case. The company anticipates it will file the proposed plan of reorganization in the near future. A term sheet regarding the proposed plan has been filed with the Bankruptcy Court in connection with pending notion. according to Excelsior. Matt Wait. who suffered neck injuries in a crash at Willow Springs on March 19. has returned to his Lodi. California. home. Wait's neck has been placed in a halo. and he is expected to consult with Dr. Arthur Ting on March 28 for an opinion on what treatment is best to heal the C6 fracture. Almost 1700 people turned out for the Lifesavers 2000 National Conference on Highway Safety Priorities to discuss how to make traveling on the nations' roads safer. according to the AMA. Held in Atlanta. March 12-14. the annual conference brought together experts from around the country to discuss issues ranging from seat- belt use and drunk driving to motorcyclist licensing and education. The conference was sponsored by a variety of companies and associations concerned with highway safety. Florida motorcyclists who want to ride without helmets would be forced to pay at least $100.0qO in personal injury insurance under a bill recently approved by a state Senate committee. according to the AMA. Some Florida rider groups have been supporting bills - SB 126 and HB 117 - that would allow motorcyclists 21 or older to ride without helmets if they carry at least $10.000 in insurance to cover their own injuries. But the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee rewrote S8 126 on March 14. upping the insurance requirement to at least $100.000 in a legislative twist that shocked the Florida rider groups. . ........ .. The Sonoma County (California) Board of Supervisors gave unanimous preliminary approval on March 21 to the proposed master plan for Sears Point Raceway. which will enable the facility to move forward with its $35 million Modernization Plan. The board approved a new use permit and facility master plan for the raceway by a 5-0 margin in a preliminary vote. A formal vote on the final resolution is expected on April 25. According to the FIM. Dorna. the current rights holders of the World Championship Road Race Series. and Action Group International. the motocross/ World Supercross promoters. have agreed to cooperate starting with this year's championships to "exploit their synergies in favor of motorcycling sport. " Yamaha's .Jamie Hacking underwent successful elbow surgery on March 23 in San Francisco. California. to repair a torn tendon in his left arm. Hacking. who was injured in a multi-bike crash during the 600cc Supersport final at Daytona International Speedway. had his tendon reattached with some damaged muscle tissue also being repaired. according to Yamaha. "The surgery was pretty straightforward. the main concern was actually cleaning out the remaining bits of rocks. dirt and leather that were still in the wound." said Yamaha racing division manager Larry Griffis. Hacking says he will be ready for the next round of the AMAIChevy Trucks Superbike Series at Sears Point on May 7. Doug "Wheelie King" Domokos will perform at the grand opening of Corona Motorsports Suzuki in Corona. California. on April 1. In addition. Larry Huffman will auction off a brand new RM80. For more information. call 909/735-2030. April 1-2 marks the 25th anniversary of the Hollister Hills State Vehicular Recreation Area in Hollister. California. The California Off-Highway Motor Vehicle Recreation Program will celebrate the day with motocross racing. an OHV static display. a 4x4 trip for Special Olympic Athletes and more. Three-time AMA Superbike National Champion Doug Chandler and former Team Honda factory rider .Jeff Haney were spotted cutting hot laps around Laguna Seca on Tuesday. March 21 during the dp Safety School day at the Monterey. California. facility. Dp's next session at Laguna Seca will be on June 1. The school will travel to Sears Point in Sonoma. California. for a class on May 26. For more information. call 805/7728301. The National Promoters Group. the collection of promoters of the various AMA/Chevy Trucks National Motocross rounds. is offering a $200.000 rider point fund for the 2000 . This season's Cycle World International Motorcycle Show tour was completed in Minneapolis on March 24-26. where 31.971 visitors attended. Over the course of the show's circuit. there have been 452.060 attendees. a 26-percent increase over last year's 358.801. Just two weeks prior the opening round of the World Superbike Series in South Africa. Bimota started its brand new SB8K for the first time on Thursday. March 16. with Anthony Gobert riding the bike at Misano the following day. In the presence of the Bimota technical staff. headed by Franco Fame. the man who worked for 49 years for Ducati. Gobert's first outing didn't last long as he was forced to pit with a battery failure. Gobert tested again on Saturday. although the track was open to the public with many different kinds of machines being ridden by riders with varying skill levels. On Sunday. Bimota and Gobert had their final day of testing prior to the season opener. "I can't push hard in these conditions it's too dangerous." Gobert said of the open track day. "Even on the straights. I had to be careful because I always had somebody in front of me. I will ride a bike [in the first race in South Africa] that a few weeks ago didn't exist. but I'm confi' dent in all the Bimota staff. We will need some races to improve our set up. but stay tuned because Bimota will be a surprise." Bimota and Gobert will be backed by Levi's - the American blue jean company - with Gobert running the number 501 on his machine. .. .. .. PROMOTED: Long time White Brothers employee Jeff laird to head of the web development department of the newly formed KLH - The Agency. a division of White Brothers. laird will be overseeing the design and construction of the White Brothers web site. STOLEN: Motocrosser Brandon Staddan had his Yamaha VZ125 stolen AUTOGRAPH SESSION: At Stone's Harley-DaVidson. at the inter- section of 1-69 and State Route 18. in Marion. Indiana. on April 2 from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Injured GNC dirt track racer Kevin Atherton is scheduled to attend. The event is being coordinated as a fundraiser to assist Atherton with his medical bills. Michigan-area dirt-tracker Jeff Hiers IS also scheduled to attend. For more information. call 765/664- 1532. from his garage at his parent's home in Riverside. California. on March 21. The VIN # on the 2000-model YZ is: JYACE05CXYA004317. For more information. call 909/247-4970. PROMOTED: Chuck Kober. by O'Neal USA. to the position of product development manager. HIRED: David Brown. by O'Neal USA. to the position of race support director. OPENED: K&N Engineering's home page on the World Wide Web. The site can be found at the follOWing address: http://www.knpowersports.com. CORRECTION: We inaccurately reported that Lee Acree and David Jefferies. of Arclight Racing. used Michelin tires during the PACE Formula USA event at Daytona when they actually used Pirellis. OPENED: Devil's Ridge Motocross' home page on the World Wide Web. The site can be found at the following address: http://devilsridgemx.com. CORRECTION: In Issue # 11 . we indicated that the Pine Nuts Moun- SIGNED: A sponsorship agreement between White Brothers and the International Old Timers Association that will make White Brothers the title sponsor of the Old Timers' series that begins in April and concludes in October. . series. The top 20 finalists in the 250cc class will split $100.000. with the same amount going to the top 20 125cc finalists. The series will be presented by Dunlop Radial Rover light truck tires. and will be sponsored by THO's Championship Motocross video game. Jakks Pacific Toys. Thor. Parts Unlimited. FMF. Dunlop. Moto-Tees. Pro-X. Ballzee. Klotz. Scott. Bosch. Gatorade. Pro-Action. Cti. 909. Boyesen/Twin-Air. Alpinestars. SBS. Acerbis. Factory Effects. NGK and Sunstar. NAMED: Headhunter-Racing Ltd.. as the official North American distribu- OPENED: Southern California Triumph & Off Road. in Brea. California. owned and operated by Tom Hicks. For more information. call 714/3566700. ........................ 41 tains Trail Association was planning a demonstration at the Carson City office of the U.S. Forest Service. The group has since changed its plans and will not hold the demonstration. tor for BKS Leathers of England. For more information. call 651 /645-9433. CANCELLED: The April 22 demonstration at the U.S. Forest Service office. as originally scheduled by the Pine Nut Mountain Trail Association. APPOINTED: Lorraine Belland. as manager of Dudley Perkins Compa- ny's new Buell motorcycle sales showroom in San Francisco. California. effective immediately. For more information. call 4 151703-9494. In an effort to raise money for injured motocrossers .Jimmy Button and Donovan Mitchell and Motor Racing Outreach. the Jeremy McGrath and Friends Celebrity Golf Tournament will take place at the Badlands Golf Club in Las Vegas. May 4 (two days before the AMAlEA Sports Supercross finale in the same city). In addition to its namesake. Ezra Lusk. Kevin Windham. Damon Huffman and Brock Sellards will attend the event. Each of the celebrity riders will head up a five-man team. with the other four members coming from public entrants. "Golf has become a favorite hobby for many of the racers. and we felt this would be a great way to raise some money for charity." said McGrath. For more information. call 602/943-6605. or log on to www.globalsportsme.com. Due to excessive precipitation at the motocross track in Marysville. California. round two of the AHRMA Northwest MX Series will be moved to Tulare Raceway in Tulare. California. on April 16. Tulare will also host an open-traction vintage IT on April 15. For more information. call 661/832-1955. - - - - - Continued on page 76 .. cue' e n e _ s APRIL 5. 2000 3 J J R J